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2- Area offices.

[[strikethrough]]Chair[[/strikethrough]]Presiding officer George Adams ruled that with the tabling of Mr. Wilson’s resolution that it automatically ruled out consideration onf revised resolution No. 15 as submitted by a subcommittee headed by Tandy Wilbur, The resolution follows:
     
Proposed Resolution No. 15 (Revised)

WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians has previously condemned the so called “area offices" system of administration of the Indian Service; and

WHEREAS, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in his address to the present convention of the NCAI has stated that he will not abolish said area offices at the present time because the reorganization necessary for that purpose would further disrupt the progress of the Indian Service in the accomplishment of its basic purposes, but will keep the system in effect for a reasonable time to permit a fair trial thereof; and

WHEREAS, the Commissioner has committed himself to the policy of delegating power to the area offices that is now vested in Washington officials without lessening, but rather increasing the amount of control now vested in the reservation level; and

WHEREAS, the Commissioner has promised to eliminate the delays that have previously occurred in the area offices.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Congress of American Indians withdraws its objections to the area office system, pending a fair trial thereof and authorizes the President to appoint a special committee to study the operation of said offices and to report back to the next convention of the organization, and make such recommendations as they deem proper.

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It was the feeling by a good number of delegates that this resolution should have been given consideration and that the motion by Mr. Clark should not have affected consideration of revised resolution No.15.

Executive Council member Joseph Garry stated that he attended the convention for the purpose of bringing out decisive action on the area office topic. He felt quite dismayed about the eventual outcome. He led the discussion in opposition to the area offices in the presence of the commissioner. He had definite misgivings about the way the system was functioning in the northwest, specifically under the Portland, Oregon, area office. He remarked that the area director was stifling the effectiveness of the reservation superintendents. He said that when the day arrived when the Indian administration of Indian reservations could be [[strikethrough]]controlled by remote,contro [[/strikethrough]]carried on by remote control from an area office sometimes located some seven hundred miles away from an Indian reservation, there would be no need for an Indian bureau. He went to great length to justify his reason for taking a stand on area offices.

Near the close of the convention, Josephine Kelly said that she regretted that the convention saw fit to table the [[strikethrough]] question [[/strikethrough]] consideration of the area office [[strikethrough]] problem [[/strikethrough]]subject. She said that it was a question that should have been brought out for final [[strikethrough]] sit [[/strikethrough]] action as to whether the people should endorse it or not. She said that she was opposed to area offices and at this time wanted to state that she was debating whether her tribe should withdraw from the NCAI if they were going to evade issues that should be discussed in the open.